Hosea 11

God’s Continuing Love for Israel

11“When Israel was a ¹child, I loved him,

And out of Egypt ^aI called My ^bson.

²²As they called them,

So they ^cwent ³from them;

They sacrificed to the Baals,

And burned incense to carved images.

³“I ^dtaught Ephraim to walk,

Taking them by ⁴their arms;

But they did not know that ^eI healed them.

⁴I drew them with ⁵gentle cords,

With bands of love,

And ^fI was to them as those who take the yoke from their ⁶neck.

^gI stooped and fed them.

⁵“He shall not return to the land of Egypt;

But the Assyrian shall be his king,

Because they refused to repent.

⁶And the sword shall slash in his cities,

Devour his districts,

And consume them,

Because of their own counsels.

⁷My people are bent on ^hbacksliding from Me.

Though ⁷they call ⁸to the Most High,

None at all exalt Him.

⁸“How ⁱcan I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?

How can I make you like ^jAdmah?

How can I set you like Zeboiim?

My heart ⁹churns within Me;

My sympathy is stirred.

⁹I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;

I will not again destroy Ephraim.

^kFor I am God, and not man,

The Holy One in your midst;

And I will not ¹come with terror.

¹⁰“They shall walk after the Lord.

^lHe will roar like a lion.

When He roars,

Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;

¹¹They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt,

^mLike a dove from the land of Assyria.

ⁿAnd I will let them dwell in their houses,”

Says the Lord.

God’s Charge Against Ephraim

¹²“Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,

And the house of Israel with deceit;

But Judah still walks with God,

Even with the ²Holy One who is faithful.